Bookkeeping guides
Straight answers to the questions owners ask about their books, written to be useful whether or not you hire us.
Is Hiring a Bookkeeper Worth It for a Small Business?
When a bookkeeper pays for itself, what doing the books yourself really costs, and how to estimate the time you would get back.
Read the guideBookkeeper vs. Accountant: Which Does Your Business Need?
What a bookkeeper does, what an accountant or CPA does, and how to decide which one your business needs first.
Read the guideHow to Know Your Small Business Needs a Bookkeeper
Six signs your small business has outgrown doing its own books, plus the signs that you can safely wait a little longer.
Read the guideThe Best Way to Manage Bookkeeping for a Small Business
How to set up and run small business bookkeeping that stays current: the foundation, the routine, the rules and when to get help.
Read the guideWhere Is My Business Money Going? How to Find Out
How to organize every business expense and read the reports that show where your money actually goes each month.
Read the guideHow to Choose a Trustworthy Bookkeeping Service for Your LLC
What to look for before hiring a bookkeeping company for your LLC, from security and access to scope, reporting and red flags.
Read the guideHow to Tell If Your Bookkeeper Is Doing a Good Job
A practical owner's checklist for reviewing your bookkeeper's work, with the red flags to watch for and what to do if something is off.
Read the guideHow to Separate Personal and Business Expenses
A step-by-step guide to separating personal and business spending, including how past mixed transactions are usually recorded.
Read the guideHow Your Bookkeeper and CPA Work Together
Who does what between your bookkeeper and your CPA, how the year-end handoff works, and how to keep both working from the same numbers.
Read the guideBookkeeper vs. Fractional CFO: What Is the Difference?
What a bookkeeper does, what a fractional CFO does, and how to tell which level of financial help your business needs right now.
Read the guideRevenue vs. Net Profit, Explained for Business Owners
A plain-English guide to revenue, gross profit and net profit, and how to read them on your own profit and loss statement.
Read the guideQuestions to Ask in a Free Consultation Before Hiring a Bookkeeper
A ready-to-use list of questions for your first call with a bookkeeper, with what good answers sound like and what should worry you.
Read the guideBookkeeping vs. Tax Preparation: What Is the Difference?
Bookkeeping and tax preparation are two different jobs done by different people at different times. Here is the split, and why one depends on the other.
Read the guideCash Flow vs. Profit: Why a Profitable Business Can Run Out of Cash
Profit and cash are different numbers, and a growing business can show a healthy profit while its bank account runs dry. Here is why it happens.
Read the guideHow to Switch From Doing Your Own Books to a Professional
Moving from DIY books to a professional bookkeeper takes a few clear steps. Here is what to gather, how to grant access and what changes for you.
Read the guideDo I Need a Bookkeeper If I Already Use QuickBooks or Xero?
QuickBooks and Xero do the typing, not the thinking. Here is what accounting software handles by itself and where a person still has to check it.
Read the guideHow Much Money Can I Safely Take Out of My Business?
The money in your business account is not all yours to take. Here is a step-by-step way to find a safe amount to pay yourself each month.
Read the guideWhy Your Bank Balance Does Not Match Your Books (and How to Fix It)
When your bank balance and your accounting software disagree, the cause is almost always findable. Here are the usual suspects and how to fix each.
Read the guide1099 Forms for Contractors: What Business Owners Need to Know
Paying independent contractors means 1099 forms at year end. Here is what to collect, what to track and how to avoid a January scramble.
Read the guideWhat Documents Does a Bookkeeper Need to Get Started?
A clear checklist of what to hand a new bookkeeper: software access, statements, loans, payroll, sales tax records and last year's return.
Read the guideHow Often Should You Review Your Financial Statements?
Monthly is the right rhythm for most owners, with a quick weekly cash check and a deeper quarterly look. Here is what to review at each step.
Read the guideDo You Need Monthly Bookkeeping With Only a Few Transactions?
A business with only a handful of transactions may not need full monthly bookkeeping. Here is how to decide, and what can go wrong if you wait too long.
Read the guideHow Much Should a Startup Budget for Bookkeeping?
The right bookkeeping budget for a startup depends on volume, accounts, payroll and sales tax. Here is how to plan it and keep it from creeping up.
Read the guideHow to Know How Much Profit Your Business Made Last Month
Last month's profit sits at the bottom of your profit and loss statement. Here is how to make sure that number is right and what it is telling you.
Read the guideOutsourced Bookkeeping: Security, Ownership and Control of Your Money
Worried about handing your books to an outside firm? Here is how access, ownership and security should work so your money and records stay yours.
Read the guideGet your books off your plate
Book a free call. You get a clear scope and quote before any work starts.